Framingham Brewery Scheduled to Open in July

Grab your pint glasses folks, Framingham will soon have its own brewery!

As reported in today's MetroWest Daily News by their intrepid beer reporter Norman Miller, a very knowledgeable guy I've had the pleasure of draining a pint with, Jack's Abby Brewing is targeting July to begin producing their own beers in a former warehouse on the south side of town.

Technically the Ham has a brewery in John Harvard's Brewhouse at Shopper's World, but that's a brewpub where the house beers are produced and consumed on-premise. Jack's Abby will be a production brewery where the beer will be kegged and bottled in 64 ounce "growler" bottles for off-premise consumption. There will be tours and a tasting room where the beers can be sampled and purchased.

The starting lineup including four very interesting sounding brews - click on their link above to go to their Facebook page for full descriptions and background information on the brewery. If you're a Facebook member click on the "Like" button to help spread the word about this new local venture. It's nice to see another small business invest in Framingham and help build our brand.

Hopefully a lot of the pub and restaurant owners in town will support Jack's as well, and offer a brew or two of theirs on tap. After all, for Framingham eating and drinking establishments, can there be any better marketing pitch than a Framingham-brewed beer?

Cheers!

New Gallery Puts the Spotlight on Local Artists

Last fall I wrote a post about the great Friday night open studios at Fountain Street Studios on the south side of town.

Now, the landmark Bancroft building that houses our largest artist community is also home to the Fountain Street Fine Art gallery. The first floor space will feature monthly exhibitions by local artists, many of whom have their studios in the building.

Run as a cooperative, artists must apply for membership, however, exhibitions will not be limited to member artists. Co-directors Cheryl Clinton and Marie Craig, who have their own working studios in the building, are focusing on contemporary art with a strong regional focus.

In addition to exhibitions, they plan on offering gallery talks, workshops, and film screenings as well. The founders also write a blog chronicling their efforts to convert the raw industrial space into the attractive gallery space that it is today. A fascinating story and perhaps an inpiration and possible blueprint for other budding artistic entrepreneurs in town.

The gallery is located at 59 Fountain Street and is open Friday - Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Where Like, Everyone Knows Your Name

Ever since the TV show "Cheers" became a big television show hit in the 1980s, nearly every pub has aspired to be a place where everyone knows your name.

But how often is it really true? Despite the amount of money spent by national chain restaurants trying to appear homey and local, most of the generic places that line Route 9 will never really be true local joints.

If you really want to experience a local pub, where as their web site cheekily states, "Like, everyone knows your name" head up Edgell Road to Nobscot's Cafe`at number 847 in the heart of Nobscot village.

From the Nobscot and Framingham memorabilia on the walls to the long-familiar faces behind the bar, Nobscot's Cafe` is truly a local place. It's locally-owned, and for the most part patronized by local people, some of whom can even walk there from their homes.

Divided up between a restaurant dining room and a bar area, this beloved spot has many loyal patrons who show up weekly for both the food specials like burger night on Mondays, or weekend entertainment that includes live bands, DJs, and trivia contests.

They also pack 'em in on game nights when free appetizers are often part of the deal, and at special events like Halloween parties. And of course one of the highlights of the year is Saint Patrick's Day, when the pub is packed wall to wall and the local Irish band the Belfast Cowboys is usually playing in the evening. For me I know spring is around the corner when I'm hoisting a pint of Guinness at Nobscot's while the band plays all of those classic Irish songs.

So the next time you're up for a casual meal, a drink, or a night of low-key entertainment, keep your dollars local at Nobscot's Cafe`. Come often enough and they really will know your name.

Framingham's Award-Winning Poet

Given the size and diversity of our community, it's not surprising that it is home to people talented in a wide variety of endeavors. For a long-time poet and lover of poetry like me, however, it's particularly thrilling that Framingham is home to an award-winning poet.

Alan Feldman, a retired English professor who taught at Framingham State University for thirty-six years, has published award-winning books of poetry and numerous poems in many of the nation's leading literary magazines, as well as The Atlantic and The New Yorker. He has even been called "one of the best poets in America" by one reviewer.

I have known of Feldman's work and reputation for years, but after attending a recent reading by him I came away with a newfound appreciation of the great talent in our midst. And even more exciting for both novice and experienced local poets, Feldman leads a free poetry workshop on Wednesday evenings from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Framingham Public Library. What a great opportunity to learn from a master of his craft!

To learn more about Alan Feldman and read some samples of his work, go to http://www.alanfeldmanpoetry.com/.

Friday Nights With Some Of Our Artists

The Fountain Street Studios, one of Framingham's two major artist communities (the other being Saxonville Studios), brings a little bit of a Boston or New York art scene flair to our town with its Fountain Street 2nd Friday Strolls.

Held once a month from 5:30 - 9:00 p.m., these strolls offer a more regular opportunity than annual open studios to mingle, sip, and nosh with your neighbors and local artists. The century-old Bancroft building, at 59 Fountain Street on the south side, a legacy of Framingham's industrial past, houses the eclectic community of artists in a setting that definitely is a window into the town's urban aspects. Like similar buildings in large cities, the large floor space has been segmented into numerous artist studios, each made unique by the artists' own individual decorating and artistic styles.

Most participating artists put out a bottle of wine or two as well as other drinks and snacks, so you can enjoy a happy hour of sorts after the long work week while admiring the art works and chatting up their creators.

See you there on the next second Friday of the month!

Framingham Mogul in the Making is Still in Middle School

On the cover of today's Boston Sunday Globe is an article about Lane Sutton of Framingham, a social media guru and budding entrepreneur. Nothing too amazing about that, right, given our proximity to one of America's technology centers and some of the best universities and business schools in the country?

Then you get to the second paragraph of the article and read that Lane is just 13, an eighth grader at Walsh Middle School.

We've become accustomed to the tales of college dropout tech wunderkind like Bill Gates of Microsoft, Steve Jobs of Apple, and Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook. But this kid hasn't even started high school yet and he's already working as a consultant to social media companies and has over 2,500 Twitter followers. Of course, many kids his age are on Facebook, but how many 13 year olds do you know with a LinkedIn profile and an already enviable list of work experiences?

A quick Google search reveals that he's already a media veteran, having previously appeared in numerous print articles and videos, including a Boston Herald business piece about Boston area entrepreneurs. He was also profiled in a Forbes article about child entrepreneurs. Locally, he published an article in the Framingham Tab when he was a mere sixth-grader. One of his main online ventures is the web site he runs (complete with ads) at http://kidcriticusa.com/

Whew. Most kids his age are lucky to do their homework and get to soccer practice on time.

You can learn more about this amazing young man and his social network presence at http://www.lanesutton.com/.

Framingham Scores High on State's Great Places List

Over the summer the Massachusetts 1,000 Great Places Commission, after eighteen months of research, released its list of yes, one thousand great places in the state.

Not surprisingly, given its size, and to those who know the town well, Framingham had the most entries for anywhere in Metrowest.

Making the cut were the Amazing Things Arts Center, Callahan State Park, the Danforth Museum, and Garden in the Woods. I know all of these places well, and have to agree that each one is worthy of the recognition.

For too many people in the eastern part of the state, Framingham is known mainly for the Route 9 strip-sprawl shopping area, and the state college, which was recently upgraded to a university. Those of us who live here, and some who don't but are in on the secret, know Framingham has some real gems, and despite the more visible heavily-developed areas, also has some beautiful natural settings.

If you're interested in seeing the entire list of great places by town, you can find it here on Boston.com.